The Red Plague of Neverland
by mysterywriter94
Summary: A sickness is spreading, a kind that only someone of Peter Pan's imagination could conjure up. However, it soon becomes clear that he is the least of their problems. Much greater conflicts arise: death, fear, loyalty...it will take the whole town to survive. Regina supports Emma as she grieves Neal, but finds something far larger than she imagined. SwanQueen, Rumbelle, CharmingSnow
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Storybrooke was safe. Everyone was going to live. Emma got to her feet and looked up in time to see Henry being dragged away. She ran after the kidnappers. Unthinkingly, she thrust her arms forward, causing Tamara and Greg to fly some distance ahead.

"Henry!" She freed him from the zip tie and held him tightly. "Thank God you're okay." Regina was already taking care of those fiends with her magic. Emma didn't care about that. She just wanted her son safe. Then she remembered Neal. Neal was _dead_. Tears leaked from her eyes.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Honey, your dad…he fell into a portal…he had gotten shot. He's gone."

"No, it's not fair!" Regina watched the pair grieve for a man she hadn't known.

"You really loved him," the mayor said curiously. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Emma whispered.

"I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "I…know what it's like to lose someone." She glanced at Mary Margaret, who instantly looked incredibly guilty. She had no time to think about revenge or even her past battles with the whole town. Her only concern was Henry. Since he seemed to be okay, despite just losing his father, her work here was done.

"Henry, do you want to stay with me tonight?"

"No thanks. Emma needs me. I'll come by in a few days." She nodded and turned away, fighting tears. She had been so damn weak lately, so…_emotional_. Things were less complicated when she felt nothing but the exhilarating anger pulsing through her veins. It cleared her head and anchored her to her life's purpose: destroy Snow White. But now that the curse had failed, Emma had her son, and everyone hated her, there was nothing left in her to try anymore. The Evil Queen was dead. Only Regina Mills remained. She stood alone in the street as people walked around without giving her so much as a glance. She was nothing to them. They would celebrate her death. The wind picked up. She followed its source.

"Regina!" Ruby called, chasing after her. She walked faster. None of them needed her. "Hey, Regina, I need to talk to you!"

"What is it?" she asked impatiently. "I haven't got all day." The truth was, she did, but she didn't want to spend her time with the wolf. It was then that Regina realized this woman looked at her with no hate, at least any she could detect. That alone was enough to keep her interested in whatever that needed to be said.

"Madame Mayor, there's some trouble over in the library with Belle and Hook."

"Hook is back? Why, Ruby?" Nothing happened in this town without her noticing, which meant Captain Hook had his own agenda.

"He's pursuing her, and it looks suspicious. I caught sight of them arguing while headed over to Granny's."

"This concerns me how?"

"Um, well, funny you should ask that…" Before Ruby got the chance to finish, Rumplestiltskin was striding towards them with his ever-present cane. Regina was growing annoyed. She wanted to tend to her apple tree before having a nice dinner alone, like she almost always did lately since Emma's return from the Enchanted Forest.

"What do you want, Gold?"

"I believe what Ruby meant to say was Henry was in the line of fire. Hook got him in the head and he's unconscious. Emma is a little busy attending to business with her parents, so she's unavailable. It looks like it's your turn to be his mother."

"You want to help me?" she asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"Well he's my grandson," he reminded her. "Besides, if you want the people in this town to start caring about you, it's your job to care about them first. After all, you are the mayor."

"Nobody wants my help, Rumplestiltskin," she sneered. "I'm only going in there for Henry. He's the only one who believes in me." She strode off towards the library. The anger felt far too good to be abandoned for frivolous wishes. Love is a weakness, as her mother taught her years ago. She entered the library and found Hook standing over her son. Belle was nowhere to be seen. Out of frustration, she conjured up a fireball and tossed it in the pirate's direction. He easily side stepped it and smirked with that typical swagger of his.

"Whoa, love, calm down a little," Hook said in surrender. "I wasn't aiming for him, I swear!"

"I don't care who you were aiming for," she forced out through the threat of tears. She hoped he didn't notice her poorly concealed emotions. "He's my son, you don't touch him! Now stand aside or I will make sure I hit my target next time." Hook rolled his eyes at her, but obeyed this time. Regina knelt down and examined her unconscious son. Other than a big bruise on his forehead, he appeared to be uninjured. He woke up looking confused. Hook had disappeared, what a typical coward.

"Henry, are you alright?"

"My head hurts. Is Belle okay?"

"I wouldn't know. She's not here, Henry." He tried to sit up, but Regina held him back. "Settle down. You could have a concussion. I should have the doctors take a look at your head." She didn't get the chance to do anything, though, for at that moment there was a painful cry from down the street. It was a noise she was familiar with, but she didn't know whose scream it was this time.

"What was that?" Henry asked. Regina was conflicted. Check out the noise and actually be an acceptable person for once, or stay with Henry and be a good mother? She held her breath and waited for any other signs of trouble, but there was nothing to clue her in on what was happening. Seconds soon turned into minutes. She felt restless for a reason she couldn't fathom. Her body moved without her conscious consent; she was already running out of the library to investigate the fresh crisis. For a moment, she wondered if she had stepped into an alternate reality. The sight of Emma having a breakdown half a block down from where the queen currently stood was foreign. This was so startling and unlike the blonde that she couldn't help but get closer. Before she was able to stop herself, she was kneeling in front of Emma and waiting for her to calm down enough to speak.

"What are you doing here?" Emma demanded through her tears. "I thought you'd be halfway out of Storybrooke with Henry by now. He clearly doesn't want me around now that I lied to him about his father _and_ he lost him all so suddenly." Regina didn't have a reply to this. Instead, she simply helped Emma to her feet. She seemed to have regained some of her composure more out of embarrassment than actual comfort. She'd take what she could get in any case.

"Why don't you join me for dinner?" she found herself asking. Emma stared at her in disbelief for a moment.

"Is there any poisoned apples this time?" Regina looked away in shame. The "savior" was no different from anyone else. "I'm sorry, that was rude," Emma apologized. "You're different now, I can see that. I just didn't realize we were friends."

"You're not the only one who's lost a lover," she reminded grimly, pretending the comment didn't affect her. This friendship thing was already cracking at the clumsily sewn seams. The only question was if she willing to prevent what little remained from falling into nothingness.

"I really…am sorry."

"Save it, and get inside," Regina replied; all her usual sarcasm and bitterness was gone from her worn face. She let Emma enter the house first. The woman's hand brushed slightly against her own. It was warm. She felt an unnatural chill when that brief but accidental contact ceased its presence. She shook it off and let the door shut behind them both. Henry would be fine. She was certain of that. Mary Margaret would probably find him and watch over him for now. It wasn't like he hadn't run off on his own before. Sure, she was worried, but whatever was on Emma's mind was completely taking over any harbored anxiety. She felt anchored, this time by curiosity. She wasn't about to float away like a balloon.

"So, tell me about this Neal," she said conversationally as she poured them both a glass of wine. "What was he like?"

"Not much to tell, except that he was a thief, and I never should have trusted him," Emma responded. "Is that white or red?" she asked, referring to the wine.

"Emma, you should know by now that red is my favorite color," Regina teased lightly as she handed her the glass. "That's why my apples are red, and I like to think of their poison as red, too."

"You know, red is supposedly a romantic color," Emma chuckled. "I read it somewhere. It really…pops, and draws attention to people. It can even be hypnotizing."

"Indeed." Regina felt like the room had gotten warm suddenly. "I should check the thermostat." There was definitely something wrong with her. Emma raised an eyebrow in suspicion. She hadn't tried the wine yet.

"Relax; I don't plan on trying anything. It just feels a little…warm in here." She smiled tightly and approached the thermostat. It was a cool 72o, so there was no way the house should feel this hot. She sighed shakily and went on to make dinner. She was probably stressing herself out, worrying over Henry so much.

_In Neverland…_

_At the same time the events in Storybrooke occur:_

"Those fools," Pan said irritably to one of the Lost Boys. "I should've had Henry by now." He paced around the camp. "I will have my revenge! A unique kind of revenge, this won't be any ordinary vengeance. Bring it to me, now, before I lose my patience!" He held the bottle in his hands a moment later, sighing in satisfaction. "I've been working on this for years. I think that it's finally ready. Who's ready to take a little field trip over to Storybrooke, the land where Henry now lives?"

"I will," someone in the shadows spoke up.

"Good," Peter Pan chuckled. "I always knew I could count on you. Here, I need you to take this, and the bottle. Make a portal and toss the dust into the air. Head straight back here when you're done Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, release the dust and come right back, it's simple enough."

"Of course you do, you always do. Now hurry up. We wouldn't want to keep the fun waiting, would we, Felix?" He laughed wildly as his most loyal companion took off to a safe place for making the portal. It wasn't long before he returned, satisfied with his handiwork.

"Well, Felix?"

"It is done, Pan. The Red Plague will infect everyone. Starting with Regina."

"Fantastic. Now the real fun begins."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Wow this site messed up my chapter the first time! Anyways, it should be fixed now.**

Chapter 2

The next day was a rather busy day for Storybrooke. Regina was working on cleaning up her office, resigned to another day of trying to be a good person for Henry's sake when Emma walked in unannounced.

"Hey," Emma sighed. "I'm sorry that I left without warning after dinner. Henry was hurt and I needed to stay with him. Why didn't you tell me about that?"

"I wanted to spend time with you," she said without thinking. Emma gazed at her strangely.

"You...spend time with me? Since when was I more important than our own son? What's really going on, Regina? Is something wrong?"

"I didn't want you to worry about him," she admitted after a silence. "I'm…I'm sorry, Emma." The savior looked at her in surprise. "What? I can apologize. I just choose to do it when I'm actually sorry. I'm sure you understand that."

"No, it's not that. You…you called me Emma. Not just today, but last night too. You always called me Miss Swan. Now I'm Emma, like nothing is different, and you don't _notice_ that?" Regina sighed and took out a file. There was an unsolved issue at the library that David had filed in officially earlier today. She needed Emma to question Hook about what he was doing in town, or at the very least find Belle and get her to spill the beans on what was going on.

"I highly doubt that matters Miss Swan, now I need you to get to work on this case about what happened in the library yesterday afternoon. Find Belle and question her first." Emma sighed and ran a hand through her shiny blonde hair. She was starting to notice more about this woman. It baffled her beyond reason. It had to be because they were currently in the same situation. She wouldn't allow it to be any more than that.

"Alright, whatever you say. I will report back here with my findings in an hour."

Emma couldn't make sense of the way the Evil Queen was acting lately. It made no sense to her, and was extremely out of character. She was definitely hiding something serious if she had gone as far as ignoring Henry. She hoped he wasn't too hurt by her neglecting him in the library after getting injured by Hook. Speaking of, she should definitely have him arrested for assault. It would be her first real crime case. Too bad it was an easy one. She loved a challenge.

As she combed the streets of Storybrooke, Neal drifted into her mind. She had never stopped loving him after all. The insufferable bastard claimed to have felt the same way back. It was too little, too late in the end. Destiny or not, he should've stayed with her at the least. Her heart was being ripped apart, the remaining shards filling with betrayal and guilt.

"How can I help anyone now," she whispered to herself. Emma stopped by the dock. Hook's ship wasn't cloaked anymore, but the man in question was nowhere to be found. She ignored this and gazed out at the water. Something was out there. She narrowed her eyes, her hand on where she kept the gun. She walked closer to the edge.

"What do you see out there?" Grumpy asked, startling Emma into pointing the gun at his head. He backed up a little in surprise.

"Jesus, could you warn me first? I'm trying to work here."

"Sorry Emma, I was just looking for you. We found something in the mines."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"A cloak, it seems. One of the Lost Boys was here, in Storybrooke." Emma raised an eyebrow. By the look on his face, it didn't seem to be a good thing. "The weird thing is, it's all wet, so this guy was out in the water. What doesn't make sense is how it got in the mines."

"Unless he came back," Emma mumbled. "Come on, we've got a Lost Boy to find." As they left the dock, a boy landed on the smooth wooden planks. He wore green tights and a simple forest-like outfit. They were form-fitting clothes that didn't snag easily on things and were so light that they seemed to slim him down by a few pounds or maybe more. His young face grinned sadistically. This boy was known as Peter Pan, a dangerous and powerful little bastard who hailed from Neverland. Peter silently lifted off the ground and began to fly again. Right now, he needed the element of surprise on his side for a long as possible.

Every part of the numbness felt wonderful and familiar all at the same time, completely necessary to keep everyone out. She couldn't afford to be weak again. Tonight, everything was going back to normal.

_Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside  
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without  
Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow  
Oh, but God, I want to let it go_

She tossed a fireball at the town line, holding back screams of anger.

_Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone  
Couldn't hide the emptiness, you let it show  
Never wanted it to be so cold  
Just didn't drink enough to say you love me_

Nothing else mattered besides Henry now. She headed off to Mary Margaret's house. She would find him there, say she was sorry, and take him home.

_I can't hold onto me, wonder what's wrong with me_

_Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside  
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without  
Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow_

_Don't wanna let it lay me down this time  
Drown my will to fly  
Here in the darkness I know myself  
Can't break free until I let it go, let me go_

She entered the house unannounced. She found Henry with David smiling and laughing at a movie while Mary Margaret sat close to them. What a cozy little family. Her darkened heart twisted mercilessly at the sight of it.

_Darling, I forgive you after all  
Anything is better than to be alone  
And in the end I guess I had to fall  
Always find my place among the ashes_

"Henry, do you want to go home with me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure," he said, getting to his feet. His head was bandaged.

_I can't hold onto me, wonder what's wrong with me!_

_Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside  
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without  
Lithium (stay in love with you)  
Ah, I'm gonna let it go_

The two of them would be a family once again. She checked his wound to see how it was healing. As her hand pulled away from the now replaced bandage, she noticed some features that looked like Emma's in the boy in front of her. She must be losing it, thinking about Emma all the time.

"Mom, why are you looking at me so weirdly?" Henry asked. Regina cursed silently. It was becoming far too obvious.

"I'm real tired, and I bet you are too. Get some rest. I'll check on you later." She sighed in relief as he quickly dropped off to sleep. She really needed to figure out the source of this recent and terrifying obsession, and put an end to it. She soon found herself headed to her lab of magic things and standing in front of the looking glass. She waved her hand over it to get a good view of Emma. It seemed like she had found Belle after all. The poor girl was having some kind of breakdown. _No,_ she thought angrily. Guilty tears stung her eyes. She was evil; there was no going back to that kind woman from years ago. These people weren't supposed to mean a thing to her. _Daniel!_ She turned away and strode up the stairs to see David standing there, waiting for her.

"What do you want?" Regina demanded, using her anger as a shield out of habit.

"How could you leave Henry in the library like that?" David demanded. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Save it, I already feel bad enough as it is. You just love watching me fall, don't you? Well, what of Mary Margaret? She killed my mother, and you're forgiving that?" She smirked as the prince hesitated. She had the upper ground again. She felt safe once more.

"I'm sure…you didn't mean to," Charming reasoned after a pause. "Is he okay at least?"

"Henry is fine. I told him to get some sleep. He's in his room if you want to see him." Of course no one would come here to be her friend. She gritted her teeth against the burning pain inside her chest as he slowly walked away. Every pore of her body screamed for her to let out the building emotions. She resisted the impulse to be so weak, shoved the feelings down even further, and then headed straight back to Mary Margaret's. They were overdue a long 'talk' over what happened to Cora. Instead, she found herself at the town line again, throwing more fireballs. Thanks to the new protection spell, they simply flew back in her direction, which was exactly what she wanted. Her insides were splitting open. She was finding it harder to breathe. She tossed a fireball at the approaching figure to her right.

"OW, damn it!" Hook growled. "I was coming to apologize!" His jacket was signed, much to her satisfaction. The one handed pirate saw many burn marks on the ground exactly like the one he currently sported. "Were you fighting against invisible enemies or something, love? I think you've finally lost it."

"Apology _not_ accepted!" Regina snarled at him. "Now leave me alone, or else you'll end up as a double hooked pirate!" He held his hands—well, more like hand and hook, up in surrender.

"Hey, hey now, calm down. I'm not asking you to forgive me." She held up her glowing hands in warning. "Don't you want to know what went on in the library yesterday?" Regina hesitated. "Yeah, I knew that would get your attention." He pinned Regina to the ground a moment later. She struggled to get free. Magic wouldn't save her right now. Hook hand her hands behind her back. The position she was forced into was so excruciating that she couldn't help but let out a howl of agony. It never occurred to her to yell for help. No one would think to do so if it didn't benefit them in the long run. That god-awful hook started to tear through her top. Her skin felt like it was boiling.

"You see, my original target was Belle, but you'll do," he breathed in her ear.

"Get _off_ me!" She kicked his leg, but he merely laughed and pressed her harder into the road. Pain and heat constricted her breathing. She writhed under him as he got on top of her. She wasn't about to be taken advantage of this way. Regina bit his nose, both of his arms, any part of his body she could reach.

"I've wanted a hot chick under my control," he said calmly. He undid her bra with one deft movement. She realized that he must have done this before sometime in the past. No wonder she was rendered powerless so easily. She realized that his hook was around the back of her leg. Regina used her free leg to kick him in the neck, sending him backwards. Free at last, she unsteadily got up and ran for it. She didn't care how ridiculous she looked. She had to get to Henry and protect him, no matter the cost. Hopefully that would redeem her previous failure in being a mother to him. Regina didn't get very far before someone noticed her. It was Emma with a hysterical Belle on the search for Hook. They stared at her in shock for a moment.

"What the hell happened to you?" Emma exclaimed.

"Nothing, Miss Swan, I just got into a big of a disagreement with Hook. I handled it." Belle was calming down and taking in her appearance.

"He attacked you, didn't he?" the bookworm asked.

"It's none of your business what he did. He won't get Henry, that's all I care about."

"Why don't you-" Emma started, but Regina cut her off.

"I don't have time for this. If anyone asks, nothing happened and you saw nothing. Because that's the truth; I'm fine."

In her own home, she felt a little safer. Hook had no interest in magic, so a few locks would be enough to keep him out. She was quick to rid herself of her clothes and step into the shower. Disgust rose up in her throat as she remembered that dreadful silver hook where a hand should be sliding its way up her back. What a sick bastard. After her skin was scrubbed raw, she felt cleansed of him at last. Regina glared at her hideous reflection as she dried her dripping hair. She was pale and shaky. A little rest would probably do her some good. Her vision shifted from a hazy dizziness, to normal, to shadowy, and back again. She slowly got into something comfortable to sleep in. Exhaustion made her body sway. Regina forced down the crippling exhaustion long enough to take a few shaky steps out of the bathroom. She couldn't recall ever feeling this drained before. She wrote it off as the after effects from being crushed against the asphalt for fifteen minutes.

Emma entered the house. She felt the need to check on Regina and Henry before taking a lunch break with Ruby later. She left the gun in its holster. This wasn't a crime scene; it was just one of the homes her son stayed in. Still, a prickling sensation crawled down her neck. Her hand twitched towards the gun anyways. This didn't feel right. Maybe she should come back later, when she was actually invited. Emma nearly pulled out the weapon when she heard the shower switch off. The house was quiet. Perhaps it was too quiet, not that she would know. She had been in this house only when necessary. Emma raised an eyebrow as it took longer than it should for the bathroom door to open. Regina shuffled out. She was pale and seemed dazed.

"Regina?" Emma said cautiously. She darted forward without thinking as the woman swayed on the spot. She managed to catch her before she could hit the floor. "Regina!" Emma brought her to the couch. Moments later, Regina fell unconscious. Panicking wouldn't do her any good, but this had been so unexpected that she had to give herself awhile to calm down before returning to the couch.

"Emma, what happened?" David asked.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was watching Henry…why is Regina unconscious?"

"I have no idea," Emma sighed. "I'm glad I was here, though. She passed out right in front of me. How's Henry?"

"He's a little out of it. I'm having Dr. Whale check him out for a concussion later." Emma nodded and looked back at Regina. "So you say she fainted. Did she seem sick to you at all today?"

"I've been really busy, so no. Hook attacked Belle in the library yesterday, and it seems like he got Regina as well. I'm going to have to arrest him for two accounts of assault tomorrow once I find him. The guy is out of his mind." David nodded. That made sense. She was a reasonable officer for this town. She didn't play favorites; she just got the job done as fairly as possible.

"All right, well I'm sure she'll be fine. Do you mind if I join you on your lunch break?"

"Not at all," Emma said with a small smile. She took one last glance at Regina before leaving the house with him. Something kept pulling her mind to that passive face hiding decades of pain. Why now, though, when she had plenty of opportunity to think of her earlier in the day? She couldn't help but wonder if Regina had considered having dinner with her last night because she didn't want to be alone. That theory collapsed on itself at once. If Regina truly didn't want to be alone, she would have found someone new at this point. No, that was wrong too. All that was important to her was Henry. He was still grieving Neal. Dragging someone new into his life would be selfish and unfair.

_Put it out of your mind, it's not like Regina wants anyone's help._ She hated to admit it, but it was the truth. So, she shoved the woman out of her thoughts and headed over to Granny's. She was in the mood for a nice, hot lunch and maybe a little town gossip. She really needed a normal day. Emma thought she saw someone out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored it. This was break time. Whatever mysteries were happening in town would have to wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rumplestiltskin was beyond furious when Belle told him what happened as she entered his shop. He brought her close and let her cry it all out before locking the door as a precaution. He couldn't risk Hook coming by this way.

"You can't just lock me in here," Belle protested as Rumple limped over to her on his ever-present cane. "I'm not afraid of him." He ignored her and walked stiffly over to the counter. Silence stretched between the couple. After awhile, Belle approached him and gently pressed her lips to his. Surprised, it took a moment for her lover to respond similarly.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he sighed. "I'm just trying to protect you." She thought she heard someone at the window, but when she turned to look, no one was there. Maybe she just needed to relax. She let Rumple pull her closer and kiss her neck. It would be almost like fate for the two of them to have a child together. He could get his second chance at being a father. Before she was fully aware of what she was doing, her lips locked against his and her arms snaked around his waist. The absolute _need _was clear in the way her hands gripped the back of his suit. "Belle, what…are you doing?"

"Just trust me," Belle gasped. "I'm giving you your best chance." He didn't fully understand, but her scent was overwhelming him and he couldn't resist any longer. His fingers tangled in her hair. At first, their dance was rather clumsy. They were getting used to each other. Everything was awkward and out of place, but that didn't seem to matter as Belle screamed his name in ecstasy.

"Hey, shouldn't we-"

"No," she interrupted breathlessly, stopping him from reaching into his pocket. "I'm going to make you a father again."

"Are you sure about this?" She responded by sliding her hands down the front of his suit and quickly undoing the buttons one by one. "There's no going back from this," he warned quietly.

"I've thought about this plenty, Rumple. We're never going to know if we don't try."

"You really trust I've changed?"

"I _know_ you've changed."

"I love you," he sighed before moving in to kiss her neck. Her legs hooked around his waist. It wasn't long before articles of clothing were strewn in various places. Their dance resumed like it had never been interrupted.

_You're so hypnotizing  
Could you be the devil,  
Could you be an angel  
Your touch, magnetizing  
Feels like I am floating  
Leaves my body glowing_

_They say be afraid  
You're not like the others,  
Futuristic lover  
Different DNA  
They don't understand you_

_You're from a whole 'nother world  
A different dimension  
You open my eyes,  
And I'm ready to go, lead me  
Into the light_

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me  
Infect me with your love  
And fill me with your poison  
Take me, ta-ta-take me  
Wanna be your victim,  
Ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien  
Your touch so foreign  
It's supernatural  
Extraterrestrial_

"You're amazing, Belle. I didn't think I could love you more than I do right now." He wrapped his arms around her and even managed a smile. He hadn't felt this happy in years. There was nothing more relieving than another chance, especially another chance at being a father.

"I'm sure you have…something to make sure this succeeds," Belle whispered. "A potion maybe, I wouldn't doubt it." Rumplestiltskin took a small vial out of his pocket. It was as if he had prepared for this moment. She opened it and drank the contents.

"I have to warn you, this stuff, I have no idea how it will affect you so if you start to feel-"

"I don't care if it turns my hair purple; I just love you so much."

"Guessing you're ready for round two, then." She climbed back on top of him to shut him up.

_You're so supersonic  
Wanna feel your powers,  
Stun me with your lasers  
Your kiss is cosmic  
Every move is magic_

_You're from a whole 'nother world  
A different dimension  
You open my eyes,  
And I'm ready to go, lead me  
Into the light_

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me  
Infect me with your love  
And fill me with your poison  
Take me, ta-ta-take me  
Wanna be your victim,  
Ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien  
Your touch so foreign  
It's supernatural  
Extraterrestrial_

_This is transcendental  
On another level  
Boy, you're my lucky star  
I wanna walk on your wavelength  
And be there when you vibrate  
For you I'd risk it all…all_

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me  
Infect me with your love  
And fill me with your poison  
Take me, ta-ta-take me  
Wanna be your victim,  
Ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien  
Your touch so foreign  
It's supernatural  
Extraterrestrial_

_Boy, you're an alien  
Your touch so foreign  
It's supernatural  
Extraterrestrial_

Someone rapped anxiously on the door. Rumplestiltskin and Belle were quick to get dressed and see who was there. Emma Swan stood there, motioning for them to let her in. Rumplestiltskin sighed and unlocked the door. The town sheriff entered his shop, her expression showing calm and control.

"We've got a problem," Emma said grimly.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked in concern.

"The mayor has gotten sick."

"So?" Rumplestiltskin said.

"I think it's contagious," she added. Rumplestiltskin and Belle exchanged a glance. "And I don't think this is a coincidence either. I saw a…shadow…flying through the sky."

"Pan," The Dark One whispered. "He must have something to do with this."

"Pan? As in…Peter Pan?" Emma asked in disbelief. "I thought he was supposed to be the good guy or something."

"Clearly you haven't been reading the right stories. Pan is actually very dangerous. Don't be fooled by his boyish appearance," Rumplestiltskin informed. He observed Emma's face carefully as she took in this information. A moment later, he acted on instinct and used his cane to force her into a sitting position.

"Hey, what the hell, Gold?" Emma demanded.

"You looked about ready to pass out in my shop. You are under way too much stress, Miss Swan." Emma suddenly thought of Regina again. She had no reason to be thinking of her. She should be grieving Neal and make herself look like the good savior she should be.

"Are you thinking about Neal?" Belle asked. "You know there's a chance he could still be alive. You don't have to give up hope." Her face twisted in pain at the bookworm's words. She really didn't need any false beliefs at this point. Besides, it wasn't like they had a chance together. She had a job to do, and she didn't need any distractions. _ A man will always find a way to disappoint you; it's in their nature to find their way to be above a woman._ She had to remind herself of this several times before she found herself able to respond to Belle.

"I wasn't until you mentioned him," she spoke up hoarsely.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No thanks, Belle. I'm fine." She folded her arms over her chest. Once again her mind rested on the thought of Regina. For all she knew, the life could be draining out of her. She was powerless to stop it. With all her supposed magic, she couldn't save the woman who raised Henry, in more ways than one. She was swallowed up by her own pretenses and sicknesses that would never reach the surface in the presence of anyone else. Before she fully realized what she was doing, Emma lurched to her feet and turned around. She yanked the door open and ran for Regina's house. She had to see her. The flame of desire to be near her was unexplainable but present nonetheless.

"I'm just worried," she whispered to herself as she walked quickly down the street. "Just…worried for a friend."

Regina woke up by the time Emma entered the house, feeling confused and oddly heavy from the neck down. She didn't bother trying to move. She'd hardly taken a sick day in her life. She wasn't about to start now. Maybe it was just low blood sugar. After all, she hadn't had the stomach for any food today.

"Miss Swan, what happened?" Regina asked. She was certain her voice wasn't supposed to sound that scratchy. She probably needed some water as well as a warm meal. "I would ask what you are doing in my home, but I suppose it was good timing."

"I feel like the light and energy is being sucked from the room," Emma said softly. "This is no ordinary illness." She ran a hand across her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Just peachy," she remarked ironically. "I always enjoy a nice day off from being mayor of this little town." Her work was her life. They both knew it. Everyone knew it. Things were different now, but that hadn't changed. There was a pause while Emma followed her instincts in continuing her investigation.

"Here," the savior whispered, her gloved hand resting on Regina's chest. "Something is changing inside you right now. I don't know what yet. I'm sort of new to this whole magic thing." Regina didn't want Emma to pull away. Her hand felt cold and nice, even with the fabric there. Instead, she remained perfectly still and silent as the coolness left her with Emma's gloved hand.

"We need more information. I can't just lie around here not knowing what's going to happen to me. I would rather be prepared." _Maybe it's nothing serious. I should probably be fine by tomorrow._

"Rumplestiltskin told me that Peter Pan could be responsible for this. Do you have any idea of how he could have gotten you sick?"

"I don't know, maybe a potion of his creation," Regina sighed. "Though I can't imagine why he wants to mess around with me. I certainly did nothing to the boy who doesn't want to grow up." Emma shrugged.

"Those two anti-magic people were working for someone, right? They tried to take Henry, and since they failed, I bet their boss is pissed off. Then suddenly you fall ill and Peter Pan's shadow is flying around town. I don't think any of that marks as a coincidence."

"Good point. Where's Gold at?"

"In his shop with Belle trying to protect her. She's unharmed, but Hook is on the prowl."

The time ticked by. Regina felt her vision growing hazy. Voices shouted at her. She wanted to claw at her skull and beg for it all to end. Unfortunately for her, it was barely the beginning. Heat blistered beneath her skin. Emma kept talking and pacing. She twisted into some demonic creature from hell and screamed that she was a horrible mother and person in general. She didn't even try to fight it. She knew it was all true. She put a hand to her head and moaned softly as reality began to make less and less sense. Purple goo dripped from the ceiling and sizzled harshly.

"Regina? Regina!" Emma shook her, but she had become unresponsive. "Oh no, she won't wake up."

"I am…awake…" The Evil Queen forced her dark eyes open. "What's happening to me? You keep telling me about-"

"You need to relax is what; just lie back down and let me find a thermometer." She rushed out of the room a moment later. Regina could have sworn the woman smelled distinctly like vanilla extract and pine wood. _Something is seriously wrong with me, _she thought as she tried to hide the sudden blush on her face.

"Okay here we are." Emma carefully put the digital thermometer into her mouth and waited patiently.

"You smell like vanilla," Regina said. Her throat felt scratchy. She had the urge to cough, but she ignored it.

"Excuse me?"

"You smell like vanilla," she repeated softly. "The kind you use to bake sweets with."

"Oh yeah," Emma sighed, smiling slightly. "I was at Granny's earlier today and I guess the smell of her kitchen stuck with me. She was making a big cake for some dessert orders. It smelled wonderful, like strawberry and chocolate."

"I'd love to try that sometime." The thermometer was removed from her mouth.

"102.3 wow. You are definitely not getting off this couch, Regina." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Where would she go, anyways? "Oh and before I forget; as for you…you smell like apples." Emma gazed at her for the longest time after that. There was something changing inside the both of them lately, something Regina wasn't sure was worth investigating or even acknowledging for that matter. Somehow, though, she could sense that there was no going back to how everything was before. Whatever anyone labeled this "before", a much simpler, less complicated feeling that didn't involve the need for self-convincing that nothing had really changed, it was all gone. The only thing they could do at this point is act on what they had now.

Henry turned over in his bed, dreaming of vanilla scented apples.


End file.
